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Int’l conference to mark 20th anniversary of Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom & Social Responsibility
View(s):Representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Germany, India, Norway, Pakistan and the UK will attend an international conference from September 27-30, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom & Social Responsibility, organised by the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) in partnership with UNESCO and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The conference will also coincide with the UN designated International Day of Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
The conference will be formally opened by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on September 27, while Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will deliver the keynote address on IDUAI, on September 28, followed by an address by RTI Commission Chairman Mahinda Gammanpila. The Working sessions will be held at the Cinnamon Grand and the Mt. Lavinia Hotel, and will be attended by local editors, publishers, journalists, academics and information technologists.
The 12 sessions that will cover the 3½-days will include topics such as, Revisiting the Colombo Declaration of 1998, Regulating the Media, Public Service vs Private Broadcasting, an event to mark the IDUAI, RTI and the way ahead, Truth and Trust, Fake News and Media Credibility, Contempt of Court, Training & Preparing for the Future, and the Power of Journalism.
The last day will address the achievements of the Colombo Declaration, take stock of what has been achieved and map out the way ahead. This international conference is supported by the Media industry comprising The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka College of Journalists, WAN/IFRA, Commonwealth Media Trust, Committee for the Protection of Journalists and the International Press Institute.